Collapsible pontoon



Feb. 16, 1932.

R. TOMAO COLLAPSIBLE PONTOON Filed Jan. 29, 1931 INVENTOR. Raymond72117100,

A TTORNE Y.

Patented Feb. 16, 1932 PATENT OFFICE RAYMOND TOMAO, OF BROOKLYN, NEWYORK comrsnatn rom'oon Application filed January 29, 1931. Serial No.511,974.

My invention relates to pontoons for raising submerged objects. Ithasfor its main purpose to provide a pontoon which may be collapsed soas to make it easy to transport and easy to connect to the object to beraised. A further purpose is to provide a pontoon, of light weight andgreat lifting power, which can be manufactured at a reasonable cost. IThese and other purposes andadvantages M will be readily understood fromthe following description and .from the accompanying- 1 drawings of apreferred embodiment in which, however, certain modifications might bemade without departing from the scope of the invention. In the drawingsV Fig. Iis a top view of the invention and Fig. 2 a side elevation, bothviews showing the ontoon inflated.

T e pontoon consists of-an airtight, rubberllined fabric bag 10,semi-spherical on top and tapering down to a smaller semisphere at itslower end 11. 'A plurality of steel cables 12 and 12a are secured inholes drilled 'in a circular top plate -13 which is also provided withan eye 14 and an air nozzle 15.

The cables 12 extend down to and are secured in holes in anothercircular plate 16 which is provided with a hook 17. The lower ends ofthe cables 12a are secured to the lowest of a number of circumferentialcables 18 which encircle the bag. Bands 19, made of. very strong fabric,are located under each of the circumferential cables to distribute thestrain of these cables on the bag. Vertical pockets 20, through whichthe'cables 12 and 12a pass, are secured on these bands and maintainthese cables in their correct spaced relation whether the bag isinflated or deflated. The bands also tend to distribute the strains ofthe vertical cables. The number of cables employed will, of coursedepend on the size of the bag and the work it is expected to perform. Inpractice several more cables would be employed than are shown on thedrawings.

While'the drawings show the bag inflated, it will be readily understoodthat when the air is exhausted it willcollapse and assume aflat shapesimilar to, but wider, than the shape shown in Fig. 2.

provided with a The device is employed in the following manner: When asunken object, as for example a ship, is to be raised, a number of thepontoons are transported to the location in their deflated state. Inthis condition the pontoons take up comparatively little storage space.W hen the sunken ship is located, the

' pontoons are lowered, while still deflated, by

a cable attached to the eye 14: until the hook 17 can be attached to thesunken ship in any of the customary ways employed by divers. An airhose,attached to the nipple 15, is lowered with the pontoon. After thepontoons are securely attached they are inflated and, as their buoyancynow cause them to rise, the sunken ship is lifted. The fabric bag andthe cable cage which surrounds it is made of suflicient strength towithstand the interior pressure when the pontoon reaches the surface.

The device may also be used as a marking buoyto indicate the location ofa submerged ship. In that case the pontoon is made smaller and attachedto a cable drum mounted on the deck of the ship. It is carried by theship in its deflated condition. Should the ship sink the pontoon isinflated by means of some suitable gas which is carried in a compressiontank. After the pontoon is fully inflated it is allowed to ascend to-thesurface by letting out the cable to which it is attached.

Having described my invention and its uses, what I claim as new and wishto protect by Letters Patent is:

In a pontoon of the class described, an airtight bag having an airinlet, ing an-eye securedthereon, a bottom plate hook, a plurality ofcircumferential cables, strain-distributing bands located under saidcircumferential cables, spaced loops provided on saidstrain-distributing bands, and a plurality of vertical cables engagedslidingly in said loops and having their" ends secured to said top andbottom plates.

' RAYMOND TOMAO.

a top plate hav-

